Photos favorited by TLSLOEWS

  • <p>The Alabama sign on South Shepard has been a landmark for amost 75 years. With all the neon gone and little care by owners Weingarten Realty,in it’s best times, it was decorated to fit the movie. It’s hard to mak out, but there are two characters on the left an right of the lower A.</p> <p>I think this was for the movie “Once More with Feeling” in 1960.</p> <p>Once More, with Feeling! (1960) is a British comedy film directed and produced by Stanley Donen from a screenplay by Harry Kurnitz, based on his play. The film was released by Columbia Pictures and has music by Franz Liszt, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Richard Wagner, arranged by Muir Mathieson. The cinematography was by Georges Périnal and the costume design by Givenchy.</p> <p>The film stars Yul Brynner and Kay Kendall with Gregory Ratoff and Geoffrey Toone.</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The play Once More, With Feeling which was adapted for this film, opened on Broadway on 21 October 1958 at the National Theatre, in a production directed by George Axelrod and designed by George Jenkins, and starring Joseph Cotten, Arlene Francis, and Walter Matthau, who was nominated for a Tony Award as Best featured actor. The play ran for 263 performances.</p> <p>The film was Kay Kendall’s last. She died of leukemia on September 6, 1959, prior to the film’s release.</p> <p>[edit] Cast Yul Brynner as Victor Fabian Kay Kendall as Dolly Fabian Gregory Ratoff as Maxwell Archer Geoffrey Toone as Dr. Richard Hilliard Maxwell Shaw as Jascha Gendel / Grisha Gendel Mervyn Johns as Mr. Wilbur Jr. Martin Benson as Luigi Bardini Harry Lockart as Chester Shirley Anne Field as Angela Hopper</p>
  • <p>Constructed of plaster, the interior sound qualities were very refelctive making horns and other higher pitched instruments to have to toned down.</p> <p>One could stand on the stage and speak in a normal tonw and be heard on the last row of the balcony.</p> <p>The Booth was located 5 stories above the stage which required adjustment of the Mighty 90’s picture by using black trim curtains to make the Cinescope Screen rectangular.</p> <p>There were 2 carbon arch spotlights that were so bright that standing on the stage in white light, you could not see your hand in front of your face.</p> <p>The Cinemascope curtain was installed permanently, but there was a standard curtain fly frame which was used in the Vaudeville days.</p> <p>Behing the screen, Interstate had installed 2 2 ton speakers whcih were attached to 8 track sterophonic sound.</p> <p>In the movie. In Harm’s Way , you coul dhear the Japanese planes way in the distant right corner of the theatre gaining loudness and all at once, passing you and then bmbing on the screen,</p>
  • <p>The Skyline’s projectionist & technician, Ken Layton.</p>
  • <p>June 2005</p>
  • <p>June 2005</p>
  • <p>Karl Hobitzelle’s Interstate Theatres took over the Metropolitan from Publix Theaters. Not sure why, but Interstate had a 100 year lease on the building owned by Jesse Jones, who lived in the penthouse of the Lamer Hotel.</p> <p> Douglas Gomery’s article, “U.S. Film Exhibition: The Formation of a Big Business,” describes the business model for early film exhibition strategies. During the 1920s, “the chain store emerged as the dominant mode for mass marketing goods and services” (Gomery, 1985, p. 219) in lieu of the smaller, independent, business stores. With the chain store business model as a standard, motion picture theater chains began to be established across the nation at regional levels. These regions would normally be centered near large metropolitan areas.</p> <p>Balaban & Katz (B&K) Theater Chain</p> <pre><code> Between 1918 and 1925, one of the most successful regional chains was established in Chcago. It was known as Balaban & Katz (B&K). "B&K controlled nearly one-eighth of the potential market for motion picture entertainment in the United States at that time" (Gomery, 1985, p. 220). B&K erected huge theaters, some holding as many as 4,000 to 7,000 people. The B&K theaters were very decorative (many of which were modeled after European palaces) and were tendered with bright lights, spectacular foyers, a painting gallery, air conditioning, as well as clean, spacious restrooms, with free supervised child care services (Gomery, 1985, p. 221). As a result, a large part of the B&K clientele were middle-upper class people. B&K showed motion pictures in their theaters as well as live entertainment/vaudeville routines that were rotated on a continual basis. </code></pre> <p>Publix Theater Chain</p> <pre><code> In 1925, B&K "merged with industry giant Famous Players-Lasky" (Gomery, 1985, p. 223) which became known as the Publix theater chain. Within 5 years (i.e., by 1930), "Publix had become the most profitable theater chain in cinema history" (Gomery, 1985, p. 223). Not only did Publix present the best of feature films, it also had become the "largest employer of vaudeville talent in the United States" (Gomery, 1985, p. 224). The success of the Publix theater chain was due to the incorporation of business practices that followed the methods of large retailing corporations tailored to a national market. </code></pre> <p>Film Exhibition Prosperity</p> <pre><code> Due to the success enjoyed by both B&K and Publix theater chains, film exhibition grew to be a prosperous, booming business in the 1920s as well as throughout the following years during the Great Depression era. </code></pre> <p>REFERENCE</p> <p>Gomery, Douglas. (1985). “U.S. Film Exhibition: The Formation of a Big Business.” The American Film Industry. Tino Balio, Ed. Madison, Wisconsin: The University of Wisconsin Press.</p>
  • <p>Loew’s State Triplex opening ad from March 5th, 1976</p>
  • <p>June 2005</p>
  • <p>View of balcony section decor. August 10, 2006</p>
  • <p>Main facade corner of Broadway and W 175th Street.</p>
  • <p>This photo was taken by my dad in about 1941 when he and my mom lived near Kew Gardens. Further information about the picture/street/area would be appreciated</p>
  • <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/maincourse/">from Main Course</a></p>
  • <p>Joy Grand opening ad February 7th, 1947</p>
  • <p>This is a vintage postcard of the interior of the Tampa Theatre. They have “touched-up” the blinking stars, which are actually much prettier in real life.</p>
  • <p>Concession Front View</p>